Roller skate having unitary plastic body



July 1, 1958 -c. E. JoNEs ETAL 2,841,405

ROLLER SKATE HAVING UNITARY PLASTIC BODY Filed July 26, 1956 -mmmu EWW ROLLER SKA'EE HAVHIG UITARY PLASTIC BDY Charles YE. Jones, Chicago, and William G. Crowle,

Berwyn, assignors to li/anning Manufacturing Corporation, (Ihicago, El., a corporation of illinois Application July 26, 1956, Serial No. 600,218 16 einen. (ci. zee-rms) The invention relates to improvements in roller skates and is more particularly concerned with the novel construction and assembly of the various components thereof.

The skate embodying Vthe features of the present invention is fabricated for the most part from tough nylon plastic or other suitable wear resisting moldable plastic material. The skate consists of a minimum of parts all of which are easily and quickly assembled in such manner that the skate may be adjusted readily through arange of sizes within the physical limits of its construction. More particularly, the skate includes a heel -portion and a toe portion, each of which is molded and reinforced to withstand considerable abuse to which such parts are ordinarily subjected. Each such portion also has molded or otherwise formed integral therewith, a journal boss in which is mounted an axle for a pair of wheels of novel construction. The two skate portions are joined for size adjustment toward and away from each other by a bridging channel or bar which is slideably guided in each portion and has means associated with it'and with said portions to secure said portions thereto Vin any selected position of adjustment. Furthermore, the channel or bar member is preferably of metal and it is so associated with the portions as to coact with the fjournal bosses to reinforce the structure and thus further strengthen the molded plastic portions.

The skate disclosed herein is further characterized by having novel means embodied therein to accommodate and mount ankle and toe straps and by the inclusion of a novel toe strap having means therein to coact with the toe portion of the skate to facilitate its ready mounting. Also, the skate has novel nylon bearing means for the wheels.

It is therefore one of the objects of the present in- `vention to provide a rugged novelly constructed roller .skate of the kind described.

Another object is to provide a skate with novelly constructed molded heel and toe portions having integral journal bosses.

Another object is to provide a skate of the Vcharacter described with means connecting the heel and toe portions for adjustment which functions to reinforce the said portions and the integral journal bosses.

Another object is to provide novelly constructed journal bosses.

Another object is to provide a novel construction for mounting a wheel on an axle.

Another object is to provide a novel toe strap and novel means mounting it detachably on a skate.

With the foregoing and such other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, arrangelment and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particu- 'larly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in form, proportion, size and Patented July 1, 1958 minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawings in which the same characters of reference are employed to identify corresponding parts:

skate illustrated comprises a heel portion 5 and a toe portion 6 connected for adjustment, as to skate size, by a bridging bar or channel 7. Each of the portions 5 and v6 is fabricated from suitable moldable material such as nylon plastic so as to be very durable and wear resisting while maintaining a suicient amount of resiliency to resist breakage, chipping, etc.

As illustrated, the heel portion 5 is fabricated in one Apiece and it includes a top wall S having an upstanding arcuate heel stop 9 formed of two material thicknesses 90,-9b with a space 1t) therebetween which opens into a slot 11 on each end. The outer or rearmost wall 9b Vdepends below the top wall 8 and it merges at its ends below the slots 11 in side flanges 12 that depend from the wall S.. Also formed integral with the top wall 8 are a pair of laterally spaced parallel webs 13 defining an inverted longitudinal recess 14 between them that opens onto the forward edge of the heel portion 5.

A journal boss 1S is formed integral with the heel portion 5 and, as shown, this boss depends from the bottom face of the top wall S and has parallel end walls 16 vand downwardly converging front and back walls 17 and 18 respectively.

As illustrated, the end walls 16 of the journal boss 15 are integral with the spaced webs 13 and the front and back walls 17 and 13 terminate substantially in the plane of the bottom edges of the webs 13 so as to leave between the upper edges of said walls 17 and 1S and the bottom surface of the top wall 8 aligned openings 19 in register with the inverted longitudinal recess 14 between the webs 13. It should be observed that the end walls 16 are spaced inwardly slightly from each related web 13 so as to provide in the space thereabove, a pair of shoulders 20 for a'purpose to be made apparent presently. The journal boss i5 provides a mounting for a pair of back wheels 21. In order to permit the entire heel portion to be molded or cast in one piece, the journal boss is made hollow as shown and with its core opening 22 in the top wall 8.

The toe portion 6 also is fabricated of the same material and in a manner similar to the heel portion. rThe portion 6 includes a top wall 23 having a surrounding downwardly extending flange 24 and a pair of longitudinally extending spaced parallel webs 25 on itsbottoni face. The webs 25 define an inverted longitudinal recess 26 between them that opens onto the rearwardly disposed edge of the toe portion. The toe portion 6 also carries an integral hollow journal boss 27 that is similar to the boss 15 on the heel portion and it includes end walls 2S and converging front and back walls 29-30. ln this instance however, the front wall 29 extends to 4and is integral with the top wall 23 thus atfording a three As noted hereinabove, the heel portion and thertoe Vportion are connected together for longitudinal adjustment toward and away from earch other by a bridgingrbar or channel 7. The channel 7 is fabricated from sheet metal stock and it is of a Width to it snugly'into the longitudinal recesses 14-26 between the pairsv of Webs 13-25 on the respective portions 5V and V6. The side angesof the channel areof a depth to tit snugly between the bottom surface of .the top walls v8 Yand 23 and the related shoulders 20-31 so as to lthereby absorb some of the stress imposed upon the journal'bosses 15 and 27 and the webs 13 and 25, to which they are connected.

Each portion and 6 of the skate has a substantially square recess 32 in its top Wall with a centralpaperture 33 therein to receive the squarehead and threaded shank of a bolt 34 that projects through a slot 35 in the related end of the bar or channel 7. A washer 36 and wing nut 37 mounted Yon the shank of each bolt aords means for n Ysecuring the skate portions 5 and 6 and channel 7 adjust/ed relative Vto each other. Y Y Y v Each journal boss 151-27'has mounted therein, an Yaxle 38. As is best shown in Fig-4, the axle hasknurled end portions that project out through the Vendwall of the boss and have press-litted thereon, nylon Vbearings 39 that are externally anged, as at 41. Prior to press-titting the bearings 39 onto the axle ends, a Wheel 21 is fitted over the bearings 39. in this. manner the wheels 21 are mounted for free rotation on the bearings -39 and are retained against axial shifting by the ange 41 on one side and by the boss on its other side. The wheels 21 preferably are Vfabricatedralso from nylon plastic `so as to be long wearing and to resist breakage, although theyV may be made of any other suitableV material. j

. The skate is adapted to'be held removably on theshoe Vof the wearer byV means of an anklerstrap 42 anda toe strap 43. Referring to Figs. l and 3, it will be *observedY that the ankle `strap 42, which preferably is madeof suitable plastic material, is threaded through theslotsY 11in the ends of the double walled heelstop 9. Y The-toe strap 43 is specially formed to be engaged detachablykvvithrthe buckle 44 and the other of which is suitably perforated to co-act with the buckle. The wide area 43b isV dis'- posed beneath the toe portion and is cut away, asat 45,

to accommodate the journal boss 15. It is also provided L with'laterally opposed notches 46 that are so spaced as to register with cut back recesses 47 in the side flange 24 5. each portion, said bosses each including parallelside walls. integral Vwith a respective pair of `said webs, said side walls being oiicset inwardly of said webs vto dene'upwardly facing longitudinal shoulders in abutment with the bar so as to transmit the load carried by the journalk bosses to said bar, and a heel jstop on the heel portion coinprised of an upstanding wall integral with the top wall thereof and Va depending wall spaced from the upstanding wall and integrally connected at its upper edge to the upper edge of theupstanding wall, said walls being arched laterally and dening an inverted channel open at each of its ends to receive an ankle strap threaded therebe` tween.

2. In a skate, a heel portion fabricated from moldable plastic material, said heel portion comprising atop Vwall having a pair of longitudinally extending laterally spaced webs on its bottom faceV defining with` the top wall an inverted channel, said channel opening on one end ofsaid heel portion and being adapted to -slidingly receive a bar, a hollow journal boss depending from and opening-into the top wall, said boss including ,side walls one integral with each web and downwardly converging end walls, said sidewalls being oitset inwardly, of :said websv to define upwardly facing longitudinal Vshoulders adaptedto have abutment with the bar soas to transmita paitof the load carried by the journal boss to said baryand a yheelstop on Ythe heel portion comprised of an upsta'nding wall integral with the top wall thereof and a depending VWall spaced from the upstanding wall and integrally connected at its upper edge to theV upper edge of the upstand-V Y ingY wall,` `said walls being arched laterally and Vdelining of the toe portion (Fig. 5). This arrangement;is such that theltoe strap 43 may be easily'and quickly snapped intorand out ofV engagement with the recesses `47 and,

when engaged, is helddagainst displacement and loss. j

As many possible embodiments may be made inthe an inverted channel'fo'pen at eachY of its ends to Yreceive an anklestrap threaded therebetween. 'd

3. A skate of the character described in claiml, in

'yywhich the depending wall is substantially coextensive with the'upstanding wall and is located outwardly of the upstanding wall. c

`4. Ina skate of thecha'racterrdescribed innclairnirZ, in which `the depending wall is substantially coextensive Ywith the upstanding ,wallV and is located outwardlyof the upstanding wall. Y

5. Askate comprising a heel and aY toeportioneach havinga attop wall, said portions being arrangedend to end, a pair of laterallyrspaced parallel ylongitudinal L webs integral with and dependingfrom the bottom face of'each Vto'p wall, the webs on each portion defining with the respective top wall inverted V`channels,.said channels the bar to the'top walls for adjustment of the portions .relative to said bar, wheel-carrying hollow journal bosses on each portion, said bosses each includingV parallel side walls integral with a respective pair of said webs, said invention, and as many changes might be made inthe embodiment above setrforth, it is to be understood-'that' all matters hereinbefore set for-th or shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted asillustrative and Y Y 4of each top Wall, the webs on each portion detiningwith the respective toprwall Vinverted channels, saidlchannels opening onto the opposed ends of'said. portions, a connecting bar extending between said portions and having its ends'telescoped into the channels, means to secure the bargto the top walls for adjustment Vot the portions relative to said bar, wheel-carrying hollow journal bosses on sidejwallsbeing offset inwardly of `said. websto deline upwardly facing longitudinal shoulders ink abutment with the bar so as to transmit the load carried by the journal bosses to said bar, and a heel stop on the heel portion comprised of an upstandingwall integral with the top wall thereof and a depending wall spaced Afrom ktheup-Y standing wall and integrally connected at itsy upper edgeV tothe upper edge of the upstanding wall, said walls being substantially coextensive to each other and defining an vinverted channel open at each of its ends to receive an ankle strap threaded therebetween. n .Y

. In a skate, a heel portion'fabricated from moldable inverted channel, said YchannelV openingV on one Vendof `said heelY portion and being adapted to slidinglyreceive a bar, a hollow journal boss depending fromand opening intothe top wall,V said boss including Vside rwalls one' in-` tegral with each web and downwardly convergingend Walls, said side walls being oset inwardly of Vsaid webs to dene upwardly facing longitudinal shoulders adapted to have abutment with the bar so as to transmit a part of the load carried by the journal boss to said bar, and a heel stop on the heel portion comprised of an upstanding Wall integral with the top Wall thereof and a depending Wall spaced from the upstanding Wall and integrally connected at its upper edge to the upper edge of the upstanding wall, at least one of said Walls being arched laterally and both of said walls defining an inverted channel open at each of its ends to receive an ankle strap threaded therebetween.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 15 Gallagher Nov. 6, 1883 6 Johnson Feb. 13, Hardy Feb. 14, Johnson Mar. 2, Staples Aug. 24, Davis June 12, Joslin Mar. 4, Joslin Nov. 3, Browning Aug. 21, Tracey Jan. 29, Biochinger Feb. 16, Brazel Nov. 22, Wooley Oct. 19, Foulds Nov. 21,

OTHER REFERENCES Popular Mechanics, page 150, November 1949. 

